Crooked Love
by Flibber T. Gibbet
Summary: Sasuke needed Naruto. Naruto needed Sasuke. This wasn’t just love. It was an obsession, an addiction, a horrible, wonderful dependence on the other.


Crooked Love

Flibber T. Gibbet

Rated: M

Disclaimer: Nygah. Eloquent, isn't it?

Warnings: homosexuality (nothing explicit), some gore, character death, OOCness, bad writing

AN: Wow. This has been in my mind since the New Year's. And was started in March. I would like to thank "Pain" and "Riot" by Three Days Grace, "Bodies" by Drowning Pool, "Bleed American" by Jimmy Eat World, "You're Cute When You Scream" and "The Priest and the Matador" by Senses Fail, "Iris" by Goo Goo Dolls, "This Ain't A Scene, It's An Arms Race" by Fall Out Boy, "There's A Good Reason...", "Build God, Then We'll Talk", and "Nails For Breakfast..." by Panic! at the Disco, "Blood" and "Getting Away With Murder" by Papa Roach and the fourth season and Shippuden opening themes from Naruto for keeping me awake as the hours slowly passed midnight. And I would like to thank Coca Cola® and Trident® gum for the same reason. And Bugles®. I'm not going to beg for reviews, because if you really liked this, you'll review of your own free will. I want to earn my reviews, whether they are good or bad. Damn… why is it always easier for me to write the notes than the actual story? As I write my story, I painfully watch its progression from a good story to something awkwardly written. ::quiet voice:: Do you see it too? Read and find out.

-o-

"_One day, when you've grown into a beautiful woman, many men will want you, but… I don't want to give you away to anyone. And I don't know whether what I saw here was love or obsession. Perhaps someday my feelings, too, might become something dangerous that could engulf you in flames…"_

"_I don't mind if I have to be… a bird trapped in a cage. I want to be trapped inside your love."_

_The Crooked House, Godchild_

-o-

Such innocence…

Such beauty will not remain unscathed…

_Cannot _remain unscathed.

He must be broken, shattered. And I, only I, will pick up the pieces. I will put him back together. I will save him.

He will be mine.

Such is my love for my beautiful golden sun.

-o-

"Have you… noticed anything…out of the ordinary?" Her questions were awkward and punctuated with long silences, an obvious resistance to the questions she was being forced to ask. As the Hokage. She had never hated her job, her title, more. But she couldn't shake the feeling that something terrible was lurking beneath the giant bed of Konoha.

If he noticed her reluctance, as he must have, he showed no sign. A small shake of the head, a possible no or a possible defiance of power- a refusal to answer, was the answer that was required of him. As their sensei.

-o-

In the name of team spirit, Sakura bought Naruto ramen, an action she'd later regret for so many reasons.

A lot had changed from when they were twelve and Genin, fresh from the Academy. From Genin, they had become Chuunin, and some even had gone on to become Jounin. Sasuke had joined Orochimaru, killed him, killed his brother, and came back. He was now a Jounin, still suffering from distrust from a few stray villagers, the same villagers that still viewed Naruto as a demon. Sakura had stayed a Chuunin, but had become a talented medic-nin, surpassing even the legendary Tsunade-sama in some matters. Naruto… Naruto had changed the most humanly possible without actually becoming someone else. The golden hair, vivid blue eyes, faint whiskers, and a little bit of orange hiding the heart of a prankster still remained but not much else. The short boy, brimming with energy and excitement, had given way to a sensuous creature, full of a dangerous power and a fiery passion. A young man who fell in love completely and totally, with no inhibitions… No regrets… Nothing he wouldn't do for his love… His beautiful, wonderful love…

"Earth to Naruto… Done daydreaming yet?" Sakura was unsure as to whether be amused, worried, or a combination of both.

"Eh…" He rubbed the back of his head apologetically. "Sorry, Sakura-chan."

"…"

"What? I said I'm sorry!"

She smiled slightly. It was good to have at least one constant in a life that changed by the second. Yes, it was good to have Naruto as a friend. As cliché as it was, the blonde's smile was contagious. "You done yet?"

"Almost…" he managed to spit out, in a very literal manner, while slurping the last dregs of his ramen.

"Idiot." Over the years, that had become the "affectionate" nickname for Naruto, used by anyone who knew him for more than fifteen minutes.

"You know it!"

"Don't we all?"

"Hey! Is that an insult?"

"What do you think, Naruto?"

"That I'm the greatest ninja ever!"

"Uh huh."

This effortless banter, it was all so normal, so expected… so welcome.

"Dammit! I have a meeting with the old hag ten minutes ago!"

"That's Hokage-sama, Naruto."

"Hokage-sama, old hag, same difference."

"Have fun getting you butt kicked when you call her that." She hugged him tightly and a sweet, sincere smile crossed Naruto's face as he said his goodbyes to one of his dearest people.

"Go on," Sakura scolded. "I'll see you later, 'kay?"

"Believe it!" And he raced into the horizon, a small speck darting from rooftop to rooftop.

"Baka," she murmured affectionately, as she pulled out the money to pay for their lunch.

-o-

Neither one noticed the dark eyes that watched over their entire lunch. Dark eyes that promised death to the foolish girl who had touched what belonged to him. A quiet sigh of contentment escaped from his parted lips. Her time would come, and when it did, she would wish it hadn't.

-o-

Her chest moved up and down with the even breathing of deep slumber. She had left her window open in hopes of a breeze to cool the humid heat of the summer nights. That just made it all the easier for the young man who now crouched on her windowsill just like the ninjas in the movies. The moonlight shone brightly around his dark silhouette, casting an ethereal luster to her pink hair. Ironic… she almost looked beautiful… Pity it was too late… A delicious shudder ran through his body…

"Time to wake up, Sakura. I don't like people touching what's mine."

Was she dreaming or was Uchiha Sasuke really in her room?

"Sa…" she began only to be cut off a kunai to her throat.

"No time for idle chitchat. I have body to dispose of." A feral grin graced his pale features and he carved a thin sliver of flesh out her delicate neck, blood oozing leisurely down her skin, dripping steadily off his kunai. His bloody- _her blood, that was her __**blood**__, and ohfuckingGod what was he doing?_ – fingers traced a rough pattern on her face. "**Yours.**"

-o-

"Haruno Sakura was a ninja that Konoha was proud to call their own. But more than that, she was a beautiful young woman I am proud to say I knew. She was a loyal friend to many. She did not deserve what happened to her…"

Not many paid attention to the Hokage's words. She, herself, was on autopilot, mouthing words while her mind was far away.

Sakura's body was not displayed for loved ones to pay their last respects. No, he had made sure her corpse was too mangled to be viewed. Instead, she was wrapped in a subdued black shroud, the faint metallic tang of blood tainting the air around her.

-o-

_The vicious lines carved fiercely into her body…_

_The glassy jade stare of shock…_

_Pain…_

_**Betrayal**__…_

-o-

When Tsunade, Kakashi, and Naruto found her at nine o'clock in the morning, she had already been dead for at least six hours. Some… _monster_… had taken a blade of some sort and tortured her slowly.

"She died from blood loss," was the strangled statement from Tsunade.

"So after all the cuts…" Kakashi replied slowly.

Naruto's stomach twisted fiercely, bile threatening to mix with dried blood, but, no, he was a ninja, he _had_ to be stronger than that.

_I'll see you later, 'kay?_

No.

This couldn't be true.

Not Sakura.

_I'll see you later, 'kay?_

A large, calloused hand soothing stroked his back. Tears soaked the older man's mask. It was all his fault. He should have told the Hokage what he knew when she had asked. But he had not. And now one of his team was dead. **Murdered.**

-o-

The small room was silent. The time for tears had long gone. Everyone was frozen in disbelief. The news had hit some particularly hard. Rock Lee… his spirit vanquished with the loss of his love… Yamanaka Ino… her best friend and rival gone without any goodbyes… Uzumaki Naruto… a part of him ripped out leaving a broken boy behind…

Though not affected nearly as much as those, others clearly showed the sorrow etched deeply into their hearts.

"Sasuke… Sasuke, are you alright?" Concerned comrades hesitantly approached the stoic man only to be met with an impassive stare and clenched fists. They backed away slowly, taking his actions to be a sign of his agony. _We'll just give him some time_, they all thought.

He was not sorry. No twinge of regret, however slight, crossed his heart. Of course not. Why would it? He was possessive by nature, and she had touched what was his. She deserved it. But then why did it hurt so much to see the tearstained face looking to him for comfort? Because it was his fault, that's why. No. He had to stop these thoughts. He did it for _him._

-o-

Weeks passed and vain efforts were made to act like nothing had happened. Something had happened. Blood had been spilled, bloodlust awoken, and a dizzying love spiraled out of control.

Naruto sought refuge in Sasuke, a fact that raised no alarms, only eyebrows. Sasuke and Naruto getting together was inevitable. Maybe it was time to move on. Love was found or maybe forced. Kiba and Hinata and Shino. Ino and Chouji. Shikamaru and Temari. They forced themselves to forget, forced themselves to move on.

-o-

Two months later:

"Hey, Uzumaki!"

"Kiba!"

The two friends had decided to meet up at Ichiraku's and then go from there.

Finished with the ramen bought at Kiba's expense, the two loudmouth ninja engaged in an oh so familiar banter.

"Naruto, you idiot!" Kiba was grinning widely at his friend's antics, a pleasant distraction.

A loud laugh mutated into a hoarse cry. Naruto's eyes widened as his stomach twisted again, his face contorted with mental and physical pain.

"Naruto… dude, you okay?" Kiba asked anxiously. Naruto was never sick.

"Sakura," was the strangled whisper of a reply.

Chocolate eyes darkened with concern while his hand slowly stroked Naruto's back. Like Kakashi's had when they had found Sakura's mutilated corpse. "Wanna talk to me about it?" Hinata always said talking about your feelings helped.

"The last time I saw her…," Naruto began shakily, "was when she bought me ramen here… and we teased each other… and then I was late for a meeting with the old hag… she hugged me and told me she would see me later… and then she was… why her?" No more tears shook his small frame. A heavy silence descended. Naruto suddenly looked up at Kiba with overly bright cerulean eyes. "I'm sorry, Kiba. I didn't mean to dump everything on you. It's just that it all came so suddenly…"he trailed off weakly. Kiba just grinned and messed up Naruto's blonde hair playfully.

"S'okay."

"Thanks, Kiba. You're the best."

"I know."

Naruto laughed, a light, golden sound.

-o-

Dark eyes watched over the interaction, the same thrill coursing through his body as before. But that would to have to wait. He had a blonde to capture.

-o-

"Hey, dobe," Sasuke said quietly. "I have to talk to you in private."

"Okay. Where?" Naruto always felt different around Sasuke. He had the scariest feeling that even if Sasuke told him he was the one who killed Sakura, Naruto would forgive him if it made Sasuke happy. This couldn't be merely love. He had realized he loved Sasuke a long time ago, ever since the fight with Zabuza and Haku, when Sasuke had died for him. No, this wasn't merely love. This was something raw and passionate. A deadly mix of lethal beauty and dangerous obsession. But it really didn't matter to the blonde. Sasuke was Sasuke. He emerged from his reverie just in time to hear Sasuke say, "Follow me."

And he did. Blindly, like he always would.

"Uh… teme… where the hell are we?" Naruto had followed Sasuke into the Uchiha compound and into the only inhabited building. Mansion. Naruto followed Sasuke into a labyrinth of hallways, befitting of the mystery surrounding the Uchiha name.

"You'll see."

"Well, that's a fat load of help," Naruto muttered, but he couldn't hide his eager impatience. This was the Uchiha Sasuke. This was typically uncharacteristic behavior. How could Naruto not be curious?

"Dobe, we're here." Here was a small stone room, furnished sparsely, with something glinting against the back wall. "Sit." Sasuke motioned to a spot next to him on the metal bed.

Naruto sat. "What is this place?"

"It's where I keep my most precious things." An intense stare accompanied those words, almost begging the blonde to understand.

"Sasuke…" Pale hands gripped his shoulders and shook him fiercely. "Sasuke… stop… you're hurting me."

"I love you, Naruto."

"Oh. Well, that changes things."

"What?"

"I love you too."

Sasuke agreed. That changed everything. Everything would be worth it to be loved by Naruto every day. He let go of the blonde's shoulders and hesitantly brought his hand up to caress Naruto's whiskered cheek. Careful, soft touches.

"Sasuke… don't be sad," Naruto begged. The look of unbearable agony in his black eyes hurt too much.

"Stay with me forever," proposed Sasuke. A willing Naruto was so much better.

"Forever," promised Naruto against Sasuke's surprisingly soft lips. Anything for his love, his Sasuke. Anything to keep him happy. Anything…

And forever it was, indeed. Naruto was never seen again.

-o-

No one could call him dead, because no one had actually seen the corpse. It was a hazy line. Do you mourn his death? Or do you hope for him to return? Do you proclaim him dead? Or a more optimistic "missing"? And how the hell do you deal with the fact that the person in question is like a little brother to you?

A quiet knock on the door pushed her over the edge. Sake bottle in hand, she screamed. "Damn you all! I just don't know!" She quieted, a tone of anguish taking the place her loudness. "Why Naruto?" Her grip tightened involuntarily, shattering the bottle in her hand. Shards of glass tinkled to the floor, meeting its comrades who had met the same fate over the past few weeks.

"Can I come in?"

"Yes."

The door opened silently and an ANBU walked in.

"Uchiha, anything new? Any sign of him?"

"No, Hokage-sama."

"Hmm…"

That was the only reply he would receive so he quietly dismissed himself, leaving the illustrious Fifth Hokage to her sake.

"God… not you too, Naruto…"

_Flashback:_

An out of breath Kakashi stormed out into her office. She was pissed. The papers Shizune had just stacked up neatly flew into disarray with the grey haired man's entrance.

"What the…"

"Naruto's missing."

"… hell, Kakashi?"

"I hadn't seen him for a few days, both of us being busy with missions and all I thought. So I told Shikamaru to tell Naruto I owed him ramen. And Shikamaru came back to me, saying he couldn't find Naruto. And then I looked for him and asked others about him too. But none of us could find him. No trace of his chakra or…"

Tsunade had stopped listening to him a long time ago. Kakashi wasn't listening to himself, either. He was rambling, a thing he only did when he was scared. First comes the rambling, and then comes the silence.

And then comes the silence.

Kakashi stopped his flow of words abruptly.

_And then comes the silence._

_End Flashback_

-o-

People seemed to take the news of Naruto's disappearance worse than the news of Sakura's death.

Maybe because when -_if_- they found his corpse, it would hurt that much more after having let themselves hope for something different, for something better.

Or maybe just because it was Naruto.

The blonde boy who was the epitome of life.

-o-

This was twice. Well, the third time if you counted Naruto.

-o-

Sasuke felt more than a twinge of relief. It was surprising really, that he had got away with all of it. And oh so disappointing for Konoha. Two of their best shinobi brutally massacred and one missing. And no one to blame.

-o-

"We will miss Kiba."

They had no body to show. They had limbs connected by threads of skin and muscle hidden by a black mantle.

It was eerily similar to Sakura's... death.

And they wondered if it would the same for Naruto.

And they felt tired.

-o-

Naruto wondered sometimes what would have happened if he had made the wrong choice. If he had decided not to stay with Sasuke. Others would have been happier. But Sasuke wouldn't have. So he wouldn't have. Besides, it's not like Sasuke really gave him a choice. It's a good thing Sasuke knew him and what he would have chosen so well.

-o-

Sasuke dreamt.

Screams and blood and insanity.

And Naruto. Always Naruto.

-o-

Sakura had screamed. Or she would have if she had had the time.

He remembered the scent of blood and the warmth of it as it dripped down his fingers. He had thought of killing her quickly, remembering the kunoichi who had been a part of Team 7, who had had a crush on him for the longest time.

Then he had remembered the girl who had hugged Naruto. And he dragged the blade down her stomach, ripping flesh and cotton at the same time.

He moved down her body with his kunai as a lover would with their hands and mouth, leaving no area untouched, unloved.

Sakura gasped and choked, faint noises against the relentless thumping of blood against his temples.

Such a sensual, _erotic_ pounding in his head.

He looked at Sakura, her skin a maze of oozing cuts, and let a sigh escape his lips.

The blood was _warm_ and _sticky_ against his skin.

-o-

Kiba didn't say a word. He couldn't.

Not with his tongue cut out. Choking on the blood pooling in his throat, dribbling out of the corner of his lips.

Sasuke felt no regret. No hesitance stilled his bloodthirsty blade. Not that he had felt any regret with Sakura. It was just that... this was even less no regret?

He didn't bother with spending any thought on that.

His movements were efficiently harsh, strong strokes and deep cuts. The blood surged out at first, almost bringing a small smile of childish glee to the stoic Uchiha, and then it slowed, weak dribbles that pooled in small puddles of blood.

The pulse beneath his fingers weakened. It had been fun while it lasted. But he had one more thing that he wanted to do.

Mercilessly, he pried Kiba's eyelids open. Brown irises skittered in circles fearfully. Sasuke leaned over his face and smiled serenely.

Then he etched the leaf symbol onto each of Kiba's eyes.

-o-

"Where the hell is he, Uchiha? What the fuck did you do to him?" Three shinobi held the Kazekage back from slaughtering the Uchiha. Shikamaru looked into of dulled black eyes of the emotionless Sasuke. _That's low_, he thought,_ accusing him. It couldn't be him. Uchiha wouldn't do anything to Naruto. Besides, there is no proof. And even _he_ isn't good enough to leave no trace._

-o-

No one believed the red haired Kazekage.

But he knew he wasn't wrong. Sasuke knew something.

Gaara just wanted to save Naruto, to repay a debt created when they had first met so many years ago. When Naruto had saved _him_.

-o-

_What a clever little boy_, thought Sasuke.

-o-

"Naruto, do you love me?"

"Yes, teme, I love you."

"Till when?"

"Till I say otherwise."

And that made it all worth it, Sakura, Kiba, everything.

-o-

It was surprisingly warm for a stone room. There was a small cot, which was more comfortable than any bed that Naruto had ever had, and a large, roughly cut stone table covered with dusty scrolls. On the wall opposite the bed, a door led to a bathroom. Food appeared on the table once a day, enough food to feed four for a day, somehow always finding an empty spot on the overcrowded table. A water jug remained on the table, refilled with the arrival of the food.

And there was always ramen in the tray of food that arrived.

This was home.

He hadn't been outside for three months, one week, and six days.

It was a constant ache inside him, however unnoticeable it usually was. He had given up on everything. His friends, his family, his dream to become Hokage.

He missed it.

Sometimes.

Rarely.

Because when Sasuke came, nothing else mattered.

As long as his black eyes weren't hollow anymore.

To make sure Sasuke was happy, Naruto would do anything.

-o-

Sasuke needed Naruto.

Naruto needed Sasuke.

This wasn't just love.

It was an obsession, an _addiction_, a horrible, wonderful dependence on the other.

-o-

Sasuke always worried that Naruto wanted something than just him. He always told himself that he loved the blonde too much to keep him against his wishes.

But no matter how much he loved him, he sometimes doubted he would be able to let him go.

-o-

Because if Naruto couldn't make the villagers happy, he'd just have to work that much harder to keep Sasuke happy. If that meant abandoning his dreams, the so be it.

-o-

Naruto remembered the night Sasuke had thrown open the doors and fallen at his feet. Having Sasuke visit at night wasn't that odd. In fact, they spent most nights together.

What was odd was the drying blood.

_I'll see you later, 'kay?_

He held back the bile surging up into his mouth. With a bitter, acidic taste lingering in his mouth, he mouthed the words to ask Sasuke a question he didn't really want the answer to because he would forgive Sasuke and maybe there were things that he shouldn't forgive no matter what but it was _Sasuke_. And this wasn't love. Because Sakura was gone and there would always be Sasuke. He was so confused. Nothing made sense. But then again, nothing ever did with Sasuke.

He let a hand fall from his side and tangle into the bluish black hair. He let his hand run through the hair comfortingly. He didn't know why. Sasuke was a murderer but... He would rather have Sasuke than anyone else. As he admitted it in his mind, he tensed, and his constant stroking paused. But it was true. And he let his hand pet Sasuke once again.

Sasuke spoke first.

"Love me forever."

"Forever."

"Kiba didn't understand that. Sakura didn't. No one does."

"Oh, Sasuke, no, no, no, _nononononono_." His words melted together but he never stopped petting Sasuke.

Because it would always be Sasuke.

-o-

Sasuke was wary of admitting his crimes to Naruto, in fears of it scaring him away.

But that night after Kiba... _died_, Sasuke had felt the uncontrollable urge to go see Naruto.

And tell him.

Because Naruto _deserved_ the truth.

And when Naruto never stopped his gentle caresses, even when Sasuke told Naruto, he knew everything was okay.

Because it would always be Naruto.

-o-

"Tsunade-sama? Tsunade-sama? Wake up. I got the ramen you wanted." Shizune, placing a tray with a covered bowl on her desk, secretly worried that their Godaime Hokage was a masochist.

Waking from a restless slumber, she answered "Eh? Oh, thank you." She broke apart the chopsticks and lifted up the domed lid of the steaming bowl.

She blanched. And flung the bowl away with a violent swing of her hand. As the bowl flew through the air, golden noodles, steaming liquid, and something brown splattered across the floor.

Shizune hurried over to pick up the bowl and see what had fallen.

It was a dead rat, it's neck clearly broken. Its short hair was soaked with the soup from the ramen.

She choked slightly and threw it out the window, before hurrying over to the pale Hokage.

-o-

Sasuke still felt bristly hair squirm between his hands. He still heard the spinal chord break with a clear crack.

He had killed hundreds of people before and there he was, obsessing over a dead rat.

It was an impulse, sending their Hokage a dead rat.

And partially because he was sick of all of those suspicious sidelong glances he was getting after the Kazekage opened his mouth.

But doing something to Gaara could possibly be taken as proof of his guilt...

Besides, how dare she eat ramen?

-o-

One day, Sasuke stopped coming. A few days had passed before Naruto let himself worry about the possibility. The food appeared on the table as usual, but, now, instead of leaving the leftovers, he saved them, just in case.

Then the food stopped appearing. And he started rationing what he had saved, still hoping that Sasuke would be back soon.

And then the food was gone and the water reduced to mere centimeters in pitcher.

He wouldn't escape, even if he thought he could. Because Sasuke might come back. And Naruto wondered if anyone would ever find his corpse.

-o-

Sasuke was on a mission that had gone wrong. Supposed to last only one week, it had now been over a year since he had last seen Konoha. The clone that he had created to provide food and water for the dobe was sure to have disappeared by then, having been instructed to vanish after one week.

Sasuke refused to let himself think about anything that would have happened after that first week

-o-

"What the hell do you mean you took the liberty to search my house?" Sasuke was standing in front of the Hokage's desk, having handed in his report. He wasn't worried that they would find anything; it was more of the insult that he would be subjected to having his house searched.

"You were suspected of kidnapping Naruto," answered Tsunade bluntly. To be honest, she had felt guilty ordering the search but when the Kazekage and storms in to your office and threatens to nullify any alliances between the two countries, well, sacrifices have to be made.

He tensed and replied icily, "You think I had something to do with the disappearance of my best friend?"

Tsunade ignored him and continued, "The search being completed and nothing found, you are now cleared of any suspicions that may have been placed on you."

"Well, that really makes everything just fucking fine, doesn't it?"

"Uchiha, you need rest after your mission. Go home."

He went home.

-o-

"Hello, dobe. Long time no see."

No reply.

He sighed heavily. "Look... I know you're really mad at me and you have every right to be... But, I just want you to know that I promise never to leave you again."

-o-

"Where the hell is that damn Uchiha?"

That was the first time the Godaime Hokage asked that question. That was the only time she really expected an answer.

-o-

Fifteen years later:

Three Genin, not one over the age of thirteen, explored the creepy old Uchiha complex. No one had lived there for years and it would the perfect scary house for Halloween. The three just had to scout out the area before creating their part of the Halloween carnival. It would be the best!

"Hiro! Sakura-chan! I think I found something..." Ryuu's voice faded as he disappeared into a dusky corridor. His teammates sighed.

They knew each other since birth, as their parents had been very close. Hiro was the son of Shikamaru and Temari, Sakura, named after her mother's best friend, the daughter of Ino and Chouji, and impulsive Ryuu, the son of Shino and Hinata.

"Where are you?" called out Sakura, as she and Hiro ran after the dark haired boy. "Don't run off like that," she chastised when they had reached him, but Ryuu didn't respond, occupied with staring through the crack of a partially open door into the room. His pale face turned a sickly milky color.

Hiro pushed Ryuu aside and looked inside the room for himself, wondering what could have disturbed Ryuu that much.

Quietly, he opened door completely, letting Sakura see what was inside. Once she had gasped, he spoke. "We have to tell someone." The others nodded and sprinted out of the complex as if a ghost was on their tales.

-o-

"We were in the Uchiha complex and-" The three had seen Sakura's mother, Ino, first, watering the flowers outside her flower shop.

"What the hell were you doing there?" The name Uchiha and anything to do with it brought back memories better left unearthed.

Sakura ignored her mother's outburst and continued. "We found something."

And her mother was gone before she finished the last word.

-o-

Ino was tempted to go straight to where her daughter said they had found their discovery at but she knew that she was not, by any chance, the only who would want to see what Sakura and her team had found.

As she darted around Konoha gathering up the remains of Rookie 9 and Team Gai, she wondered if this was the denouement they had all been searching for.

-o-

In the end, more than twenty people of all ranks arrived at the sight of their discovery, including two of the Legendary Sannin, the Hokage, and the Kazekage.

All three of the Genin wondered why what they had found was so important. But no one would tell them.

-o-

Kakashi stared blankly ahead, unaware of Iruka's hand crushing his in a tight grip. The only thought crossing his mind was that he outlived his students.

Dead.

They were all dead.

Apparently the silence didn't just apply to fear.

-o-

Iruka couldn't believe it, wouldn't believe it. It had been more than sixteen years, but he still held onto a weak hope that Naruto would be found alive.

And even seeing proof saying otherwise, he still wouldn't believe it.

"C'mon, Naruto, I'll buy you all the ramen you can eat if you just wake up now," he murmured.

Then he smiled bitterly at the futile plea.

What was the use of bargaining with a carcass?

-o-

Tsunade and Jiraiya stood in a corner in silence. She rested her head against the wall, her body trembling. A necklace hung loosely in her hand.

He said goodbye. And closed his eyes, but the image remained in his mind, refusing to fade away.

-o-

The splintered remains of the rookies of so long ago huddled together, talking in low voices, holding partially rolled scrolls in their hands.

"Uchiha," growled the Kazekage. Temari laid a comforting hand on her youngest brother's arm which he roughly shook off. She didn't try again.

Shikamaru remembered the time he had held Gaara back from hurting Sasuke and how he had been convinced of Sasuke's innocence. Even after all that the Uchiha had done, Shikamaru couldn't hate him. Sasuke had really loved Naruto. Thinking of Naruto always brought a throbbing ache to his chest, so he talked to distract himself from the pain.

"He must have hidden the door with his chakra which, over time, would have weakened and eventual worn off." He spoke in a detached voice.

Neji looked up from a leather bound book he was reading. "How could we have not noticed?" He passed the book in his hands around the group, letting them read Uchiha Sasuke's private journal. The words written hinted at an unfathomable passion and desperation. Everything Sasuke had ever loved had been taken away from him; he just wanted one thing to stay. But in the end that had gone too, all because he had been careless.

They read the words carefully inked onto the page in silence.

Because what was there to say?

-o-

On the cot, two bodies lay twisted together, bone against bone.

"_Naruto, do you love me?"_

"_Yes, teme, I love you."_

"_Till when?"_

"_Till I say otherwise."_

-o-

I hate this. I cannot write worth shit. I have perfectly decent ideas and then I mutilate them. And the worst part is that there are so many wonderful writers out there (you want names? I'll give you names!) and I can't even hope to compare. If you think story deserves a review or a flame, please review or flame. But if you're going to flame, have a good reason, please.

Enough of self-pitying... I don't think my seme would be very happy.

I make lunch for my brother and myself during the summer and sometimes I make pasta. My brother is totally fine with the pasta, but he wouldn't touch the sauce. So I made all the foods Naruto characters. -.-; We had the tri-color pasta, so the oranges ones were Naruto, the white the Third Hokage, and the green was Lee. The pasta sauce was Itachi. And later we added parmesan cheese to the mix, calling it Jiraiya. And whenever I eat that, I always save the Naruto noodles for last, so I can have Itachi and Naruto together. Too bad I can't find anything to be Sasuke... I don't really expect anyone to care. But I just thought it was more than just slightly weird. And kinda funny...

My plea for your favorite fics and books and someone to help me with geometry is still open! Make a little girl happy!

Oh, and I have an alternate ending (it'll probably still be depressing, but Sasuke won't die) even anyone is interested in me posting it...

her giggling uke


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